James Van Der Beek, beloved star of “Dawson’s Creek,” has passed away at the age of 48 after cancer battle. The actor, who became a household name in the late ’90s, lost his fight with stage 3 colorectal cancer.
Van Der Beek rose to fame as Dawson Leery on the hit teen drama Dawson’s Creek. The show ran for six seasons and became a cultural staple. He later starred in the football classic Varsity Blues, which further cemented his place in pop culture. However, behind the scenes, the actor had been privately battling cancer.
His wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, confirmed his passing in a heartfelt Instagram post. She wrote: “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”
Her words were heavy. They were full of love. And they made it clear that this loss runs deep.
James Van Der Beek leaves behind his wife and their six children. He also leaves behind millions of fans who grew up watching him navigate teenage heartbreak on screen. Now, many are navigating real-life heartbreak without him.
Inside James Van Der Beek’s Cancer Diagnosis and Battle
James Van Der Beek first revealed his diagnosis to PEOPLE in November 2024. He spoke openly about prioritizing his health and family during the fight.
“I have colorectal cancer,” he stated. “I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family.”
“There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good,” he added.
Doctors discovered the cancer during a routine colonoscopy in August 2023. At first, he did not think much of the symptoms.
“It was just a change in bowel habits,” he told PEOPLE for a November 2024 cover story. “I thought, I probably need to change my diet a little bit. Maybe I need to stop coffee. Maybe I need to not put cream in the coffee. And then I finally took that out of the diet, and it didn’t improve, and I thought, all right, I better go get this checked out.”
That decision likely saved valuable time. And still, the diagnosis hit hard.
“I felt really, really good as I was coming out of anesthesia that I had finally done it and looked into it,” he continued. “And as I was coming out of the haze, the gastroenterologist said—in his most pleasant bedside manner—it is cancer.”
At that moment, everything changed.
He later described going into shock. His life shifted overnight. Suddenly, the conversations were about treatment plans, survival rates, and time.